Around 150 Bangladeshi and Nepalese laborers from a cleaning company contracted with the Health Ministry declared a strike in Jleeb Al- Shuyoukh, demanding the company listens to them and meets their demands. They said the company practices injustice against them.

The protest held to demand annual leaves and salary increases lasted for over an hour on the Sixth Ring Road in front of Mohammad bin Al-Qasim Street. When police arrived and asked them to disperse, they went to their residences in Jleeb and Farwaniya.

The strike was over 3 hours later when company representatives promised to meet their demands. The workers said the company treats them unfairly by not granting them annual leave, adding that the few who are given leaves have to hand over their bank cards and pay deposits to ensure their return.

They said that the company they work for has 5,000 workers distributed to various contracts at the health and electricity ministries, and has residential sites in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Mahboula. They said that the company’s administrative manager refuses to receive the workers to hear their complaints and demands, adding that they returned to work after company’s undertaking. They said they will strike again if their demands are not fulfilled.

Meanwhile an official source at the health ministry said the ministry was not affected by the strike, adding that the presence of other workers contributed to not interrupting the services and some of them returned to work at 11:30 am.